Bovine mouth speculum



Sept. 30, 1941 LENT 2,257,696

BOVINE MOUTH SFECULUM Filed Jan. 2, 1941 I-' -HElenif Patented Sept. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 BOVINE MOUTH SPECULUM Henry E. Lent, Omro, Wis.

Application January 2, 1941, Serial No. 372,909

2 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved construction of mouth speculum especially constructed for use on bovines for holding the mouth securely in an open position and for engaging the jaws forwardly of and adjacent the front molars.

The conventional mouth speculum is designed for horses and due to the difference in the shape of a horse's head and that of a bovine and in the mouth and teeth formation the conventional mouth speculum will not correctly fit a bovine due to the fact that it is constructed with joints and. will consequently slip, tilt and slide sidewise. Furthermore, a horse is accustomed to having its head handled in applying a halter or bridle and will therefore ordinarily not resent a mouth speculum being applied, whereas a bovine is ordinarily not accustomed to having its head handled and will resent the application of a mouth speculum so that a solid construction is essential in order that the speculum can be held for holding the head while the speculum is being adjusted and is in place.

More particularly, it is an aim of the invention to provide an improved bovine mouth specu-z lum including a solid frame structure having means for 'adjustably securing it on the head and having adjustable means to be disposed in the mouth and which can be adjusted after the. mouth speculum has been applied to the head for opening the mouth and for holding the mouth in an open position.

Other objects and, advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the mouth speculum in position on the head of a bovine,

Figure 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the frame of the mouth speculum,

Figure 3 is a front elevational view partly in vertical section of the same,

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 4-4 of Figure 2, and

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially along the plane of the line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the different views, for the purpose of illustration the bovine mouth speculum, designated generally I0, is shown in Figure 1 applied to the head of a bovine. designated II, and adjusted for holding the mouth l2 in an open position so that the bovine can be properly given the necessary medical treatment as for example so that a stomach tube, not shown, may be passed through the open mouth l2 and into the stomach.

The mouth speculum l0 includes a frame, designated generally [3, and illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, formed of corresponding side pieces or check plates [4 which are substantially C-shaped and which are connected at corresponding points,

adjacent their lower ends l5 by means of a cross bar or brace, [6 which is rigidly secured to or cast integral with the side pieces l4. r

The frame I3 is adapted to be applied to the head ILas illustrated in Figure 1, with the side pieces l4 disposed at the sides of the checks of the bovine and with the brace l6 arranged beheath the chin. The side pieces M are provided with openings H. The openings I! include complementary openings in the upperportions of the side pieces l4 and to which are connected the ends of a nose strap 18. vThe other, complementary openings of the side pieces [4 are formed in the upper parts of the intermediate portions thereof for engaging the ends of a pole strap H). The nose strap and pole strap are each provided with a buckle 20 for adjusting the length thereof so that the nose strap [8 may be tightened over the nose and the pole strap l9 tightened over the top of the head and behind the ears, as illustrated in Figure 1, for securing the frame l3 tightly in place on the head It and in the position, as illustratedin Figure, 1.

The side pieces M are provided with down turned upper ends 2|. A plate 22 extends transversely of the frame It and is fixedly secured to the under sides of the ends 2|. The ends of the plate 22 project beyond the side pieces l4 and are provided with openings 23 each of which is adaptedto engage a ring 24, for a purpose which will hereinafter become apparent. The lower ends l5, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, are

enlarged and are provided with internally threaded perpendicular bores 25 extending therethrough for receiving screws 26 which are preferably provided with left threads. The screws 26 are provided at their lower ends with wing sh'apedheads or handle portions 21 by means of which they may be turned by hand for moving the screws in either direction through the bores 25. The screws 26, adjacent their upper ends are provided with restricted shank portions 28 having transverse openings 29. A plate 36 is provided with ends 3! which are offset downw 2, wardly relatively to its intermediate portion and which are provided with elongated lengthwise disposed openings 32 for loosely engaging the shank portions 28. A head 33, provided with diametrically opposed openings 34 and a central opening 35 is mounted on the upper portion of each of the shank portions 28 with the shank portion 28 engaging the opening 35 and with its openings 29 alining with the openings 34 for receiving a pin 36 which is welded or otherwise permanently secured therein for permanently attaching the plate 30 to the upper ends of the screws 26. The heads 33 are provided with tap ered or conical shaped under sides 31 for engaging the upper portions of the openings '32 to permit the plate 30 to be tilted relatively to the screws 26.

To apply the mouth speculum Ill, the screws 26 7 are advanced to move the plate 30 upwardly until until its upwardly off-set intermediate portion 38 abuts against the intermediate portion of the plate 22 after which, with the plates so disposed,-

they are inserted into the mouth l2 and the straps l8 and I9 are then fastened about the nose and head, respectively, as previously described, for adjustably and firmly securing the mouth speculum l0 in position on the head When thus applied, the upper plate 22 will have its intermediate portion bearing against the upper gum 39 and just forward of the front molars 4!) of the upper jaw and the intermediate portion 38 of the lower plate 30 will be disposed to bear on the lower gum 4| just forward of the lower front molars 42. A bovine has no teeth in its'upper jaw forward of the front molars 4B and in its lower jaw the only teeth forward of its front molars 42 are the incisor teeth 43 which extend only across the front portion of the gum 4| and which are substantially forward of the plates 22 and 30. The screws 26 are then turned so as to retract them for drawing the plate 30 downwardly to force the mouth 2 open and for retaining it in an adjusted, open position. The tapered portions 31 of the heads 33 permit the plate 30 torock relatively to the screws and the elongated openings 32 permit the plate to slide relatively to 'screws- 26 so that the two screws 26 'neednot be'turned simultaneous'ly. The intermediate portion of the plate 22 and the portion 38 of the'plate 30 are each encased in a casing of cushioning material 44 which may be either rubber or leather or other suitable material andwhich is adapted to bear against the gums 39 and 4| to protect the gums from direct contact with the metal bars 22 and 3B. Halters 45 may be attached to each of the rings 24 to prevent the bovine from moving its head I and the side pieces l4 may also be grasped for holding the head in the desired position.

games It will be obvious that the commissure 46 of the animal will be disposed between the openings in the c-shaped side pieces [4 so that the mouth speculum ID will not rub thereagainst and irritate the animal.

Various modifications and changes are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to as only a preferred embodiment of the invention has been disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A bovine mouth speculum comprising a frame having corresponding side pieces disposed at the sides of the head of a bovine, a cross bar connecting the lower portions of said side pieces and disposed beneath the chin, adjustable means for detachably mounting the frame on the head, said side pieces having downwardly extending upper ends, a plate connected to the undersides of the downwardly extending upper ends of said side pieces and disposed for engaging the upper gum, a second plate disposed within the mouth for engaging'the lower gum, means for adjustably connecting said last mentioned plate to the lower ends of said side pieces for opening the mouth of the bovine and for retaining the mouth in an open position, said first mentioned plate having ends projecting beyond the side pieces, and rings mounted in said ends to be attached to halters for holding the head in a desired position.

2; A bovine mouth speculum comprising a frame having corresponding -side pieces disposed at the sides of the head of a bovine, a cross bar connecting the lower portions of said side pieces and disposed beneath the chin, adjustable means for detachably mounting the frame on the head,

said side pieces having downwardly extending upper ends, a plate connected to the undersides of the downwardly extending upper ends of said side pieces and. disposed for engaging the upper gum, a second plate disposed within the mouth for engaging the lower gum, means for adjustably connecting said last mentioned plate to the lower ends of said side pieces for opening the mouthof the bovine'and for retaining the mouth in'an open position, said last mentioned means including threaded bores in the lower ends of said side pieces, screws extending through and engaging the threads of said bores, said last mentionedtplatebeing provided with downwardly off-, set endswprovided with elongated longitudinally disposed openings, and the upper ends of said screws being rotatably connected to said last mentioned plate through said openings and mounted to slide relatively thereto.

- HENRY E. LEN'I. 

